The Piper Sniper by Kelly Young

What a great premise for a series! Part travelogue, mostly cozy mystery, The Piper Sniper, the first book in Kelly Young’s Travel Writer Cozy Mystery series, is a delight. Such a clever idea to intersperse magazine travel pieces about the town where the murders take place, written by the main character, Casey.

The town of Kincardine, Ontario—its scenery and history—is described in detail through Casey’s tourism articles for Our Ontario magazine, which form separate chapters in the book. Casey’s camera captures not only the great tourist attractions, but also gets her involved in a murder investigation, much to the annoyance of a certain detective on the case. Author Kelly Young’s background as a reporter and her own experiences of living and travelling in Ontario bring credence to her main character’s profession. Being familiar with Kincardine myself, I imagined walking along the same paths and streets Casey traversed, and I longed to visit the town again and perhaps rent a cottage. With it being winter, I made do with a virtual visit on Google maps and through online photos. If you’ve never been to Kincardine, Young clearly describes it, putting the reader directly in the scene. You will want to put it on your list of places to visit.

I love Casey, who refers to herself as ‘The Travelling Klutz’, always managing to literally stumble and fall as a matter of course while pursuing her tourism story and looking for possible murder suspects when one of the town’s pipers is shot and killed during the traditional piping down of the sun from the top of the lighthouse. With her handsome husband sidekick, and a former colleague who is an old friend, Casey investigates the piper’s death even though the snarly Detective Wolsey warns her to stay out of it. The author’s understanding of typical small-town behaviour is also part of the charm of this book. Not to mention, her sense of humour, which shines through in each scene, making this mystery a light read for a beach day or a wintery day inside dreaming of being at the shore. The suspense at the end of each chapter will keep you curious as to what on earth is going on.

À la Stephanie Plum, crime, humour, a great sense of setting and community, along with a mettlesome protagonist, make for a fun read. A great choice for fans of Janet Evanovich!